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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26143645">quake</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/nonbinaryezrabridger/pseuds/nonbinaryezrabridger'>nonbinaryezrabridger</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Big Eden (2000)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>First Kiss, M/M, Missing Scene, don’t copy to other sites</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 03:56:03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>804</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26143645</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/nonbinaryezrabridger/pseuds/nonbinaryezrabridger</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Pike leaves the "Henry isn't leaving" party to think, but is interrupted by Henry. They talk about what needs saying, and soon they both know what they want.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Pike Dexter/Henry Hart</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>48</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>quake</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>tw for this story: mentions of death</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>---------</p><p>Pike is sitting out the back of the store, behind the extension he lives in, which is as much privacy he can get without running away from the “Henry isn’t leaving” party entirely. His mind is spinning with Henry; with the light touches on his arm and shoulders, the whispering snark in his ear, making him laugh through a mouth full of food. He’s unsure what it all means: Henry has always been touchy, even before Pike had run after him to the airport. Maybe it should be obvious, maybe someone had told Henry that that’s what Pike had done and he knows everything, Pike’s feelings flayed open and laid bare before Henry like a trout being deboned. Pike hopes that hasn’t happened; he’s always been a private person, even more so about his emotions. </p><p>It seems too good to be true, Henry loving him back, and part of Pike wants to balk, wants to avoid saying anything and hope the situation blows over, leaving him lonely but invulnerable like usual. He knows he should talk to Henry, but he can’t quite bring himself to do so. He feels like he’s walking on the edge of a cliff, knowing he should jump but being too afraid to. </p><p>A door behind him opens and his breath snags; he turns to look and sure enough it’s Henry, with that unassuming little smile on his face. He gets the feeling Henry has come to talk, come to push him off the cliff whether he wants to go or not. Pike considers running, or just saying no--Henry would leave him alone if Pike told him to. PIke knows that deep in his bones, that Henry wouldn’t force him. He feels grateful for it, but at the same time it would be easier if he would just force him. To not have to make a decision, to just be left no other choice.</p><p>As Henry sits, Pike gathers all his courage, building himself up until he straightens his shoulders and says:</p><p>“Hey.”</p><p>Not the most eloquent, but it gets the job done. Henry breaks into a wider smile and says back:</p><p>“Hey.”</p><p>Now that he’s made the decision to speak, to face his feelings, face to possibility of rejection, of a broken heart, Pike finds the words pouring out, faster than he can stop them:</p><p>“I wasn’t there.”</p><p>Henry tilts his head inquisitively then goes “ah!” as he realizes:</p><p>“At the funeral.”</p><p>Pike nods, heavily.</p><p>“I was angry at you. For leaving. I didn’t want to see you. And I didn’t want to face the sadness of him being gone. But that was wrong. He was my friend, I should have been there.”</p><p>Henry’s face is soft, his eyes understanding. He says:</p><p>“I understand. I’m no stranger to running from things you should face. That’s why I wanted to leave, because the commitment of staying here scared me. Being loved by so many people scared me.”</p><p>Pike can’t but smile, just a slight curve of his lips. It’s funny how he’s fallen for someone with the same flaw as him. They both had been hiding, and now finally, they want to come out and face the sun. </p><p>PIke feels fumbling and awkward, which is not unusual for him, as he reaches for Henry’s hand. Henry reaches for him too and they meet in the middle, between their bodies, intertwining their fingers. Pike feels like shaking to pieces at the touch, at how much he wants the man next to him, wants to know him deeply, wants to know how he paints, how he eats breakfast in the morning, how he sleeps, how he wraps himself around a lover. Henry just watches him, patient but determined, giving him time to collect himself.</p><p>Pike has never been the one to initiate a kiss. He’s always waited for other people to come to him, and it's worked pretty well. But now he feels daring, alight with love, like he’s invincible and unbreakable. So he asks:</p><p>“May I kiss you, Henry?”</p><p>Henry’s eyes shine in the moonlight as he says:</p><p>“Yes, Pike.”</p><p>Pike is nervous, he always is, it’s a constant state honestly, but he pushes forwards to kiss Henry. It’s a little messy, a little unpracticed, like Henry hasn’t kissed in a long time and is relearning it. But by no means is it bad, and when Pike pulls away he feels breathless from it. Henry is smiling at him, so full of love it’s practically radiating off of him. Then he laughs quietly and says:</p><p>“I need more of that spinach artichoke dip. Want to come back inside?”</p><p>Pike can’t imagine letting go of him right now, so he just says:</p><p>“Yes.”</p><p>And stands. Henry follows and they walk back towards the door, their intertwined hands swinging slightly between them. </p><p>---------</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I felt that Henry and Pike needed to talk about what they were holding against each other before they got together, so of course I had to write it :)</p></blockquote></div></div>
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